1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device including a housing, a built-in electric printed circuit board and at least one key positioned near to a wall of the housing at an angle relative to the printed circuit board, the at least one key including at least a movable key portion that can be depressed substantially perpendicularly to the wall, a movable first contact actuator portion aligned to the movable key portion inside the housing, and a movable contact portion cooperating with the movable key portion for making breakable electrical contact with electrically conducting parts of the printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device of this type is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,017. This patent describes various types of devices such as calculators and other portable electronic arrangements such as mobile radios, remote controls, and so on. Said United States patent offers a solution to the technical problem that a key is depressed in a direction substantially parallel with the face of the printed circuit board accommodated in the device, but that nevertheless, by depressing the key, the movable contact portion is to make contact with the electrically conducting patterns on the surface of the printed circuit board. The solution is sought in the mounting of an elongated compound contact element in a fixed position on top of the printed circuit board and in causing this element to make electrically conducting contact on the underside with conducting tracks on the printed circuit board. On a side at a right angle to the printed circuit board, the contact element is arranged for making contact with the contact portion of the depressible key portion. A disadvantage of this solution is that a special and, moreover, relatively complicated contact element is to be provided that is additionally to be positioned and mounted at the right spot on the printed circuit board.